Whether you’re Lucy Honeychurch looking from her Room with a View across the Arno in Florence, Charles Dickens proclaiming Lake Como the most beautiful thing beheld in nature, or Taylor Swift singing about “that view of Positano”, we all have a favourite view of Italy.
Views of Italy, whether mountains, rolling hills, shimmering lakes or romantic cities, are breathtaking.
When you find a property in Italy with an amazing view you can’t help but say “Wow!”. The rest of your property wishlist may suddenly become unimportant. After all, you can upgrade a building, install a new kitchen, put in a pool, but you can’t install a view.
Nothing will ever beat the first time you wake up in your Italian home to see a magical pink sunrise. Unless it’s the warm red sunsets that leave you truly speechless. My own camera is full of sunset shots, but they never really capture the majesty, colour or expanse of the view. Nor, the real-life experience, of realising how lucky you are to own a piece of paradise with that wonderful view.
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What’s so special about a view?
Gazing at a distant landscape isn’t just nice to do, it relaxes the mind, relieves stress and reduces the sensory overload that comes from screens and city life.
It is good for our mental and physical wellbeing, reducing muscle tension, eye strain, and lowering blood pressure. There is a mindfulness benefit too, from stopping to notice the natural beauty in the world around us.
As an investment, a view will always add value to a property, whether you want rental income or long-term capital growth.
So, where can you find your dream property with a view in Italy? YOu will be spoiled for choice, but let’s be organised about it, and consider views of mountains and lakes, to hills and sea.
Italy’s best mountain views
Most of us don’t get to enjoy mountain views on a regular basis (unless we have a biscuit tin with a mountain chalet on the lid). Snowy peaks towering above lush green valleys, waterfalls, glaciers and lakes are all there to tempt you to put your boots on and discover the great outdoors.
If you owned your own chalet or resort apartment, you could keep your ski and hiking gear there, so it’s all ready for those weekend escapes from a busy life. Even when you want to stay warm by the fire, gazing out of a window with awesome views creates a revitalising feeling of wellbeing.
The Italian Alps are the first to come to mind, as they boast the most fashionable ski resorts. The rocky peaks of the Dolomites offer a very recognisable view, so much so that they have been listed by UNESCO since 2009 and are the back drop to the Winter Olympics 2026 in Cortina.
Winter Olympic views
If you’ve been enjoying the views on the Olympics, Cortina is in the province of Belluno. The region offers high-end second homes in spectacular ski resorts with incredible panoramic views.
Don’t be overwhelmed by Cortina’s high price tags. You can also find small apartments in other villages nearby that start at around €280,000. Even less for a small flat in a block. In the Valle di Cadore and Cibiana di Cadore area there are also some very cheap renovation projects.
As well as seeing mountains all around your property, those seeking the ultimate views can enjoy cable car rides. Tip: Buying a “Gardena Card” gives you access to 18 cable cars in the Val Gardena.
Apennine views
The Apennine mountains run from Liguria all the way down the country to the toe of the boot in Calabria. The highest point is in the Gran Sasso in the Abruzzo region. In this area you can find property with mountain views at very reasonable prices.
Protected mountain areas can be found in the Majella National Park in Abruzzo and the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park.
Where else to find property with mountain views
Take a look at some of these options:
- South Tyrol: Egna, Glorenza, Vipiteno, Chiusa and Castelrotto.
- Veneto: Asolo, Cortina d‘Ampezzo, Chiave, Belluno.
- Trentino-Alto Adige: Villages of Canazei and Ortisei.
- Lombardy: Lake Como, Lake Maggiore and Lecco villages, such as Bellagio, Bellano, Varenna, Menaggio, and Lecco. In the Alps at Chiavenna, Livigno, Bormio. Or around Bergamo.
- Valle d’Aosta: Particularly Courmayeur with its views of Mont Blanc.
- Piedmont: Biella, the Langhe, Monferrato hills, and Lake Maggiore.
- Marche: Mondavio.
- Tuscany: Garfagnana.
- Tuscan-Emilia Romagna border: Cesene province.
- Umbria: Sibillini mountains, around Lake Trasimeno.
- Abruzzo: The provinces of Teramo and Chieti. Even near the coast there are villages with views towards the mountains.
Italy’s best lake views
No country does a lake view quite like Italy. The most famous are in the region of Lombardy, in the north of the country – Lake Como, Lake Maggiore, Lake Iseo and Lake Garda – where the mountains are reflected in the pure water.
Take a look at the towns of Mennagio, Cernobbio and Tremezzina by Lake Como. For affordable property prices, look in the areas uphill from the lakes’ edge, especially at the north end of the lakes.
Also in the Lombardy region is the town of Tirano, from where you can catch the famous Bernina Express. This UNESCO recognised train journey winds its way to St. Moritz, in Switzerland, through some of the most jaw dropping mountain scenery.
Another option for lake views is Late Trasimemo in Umbria. You don’t get the mountain-lake combination, but it is beautiful nonetheless and just seems to feel cooler in the heat of an Italian summer. Closer to Rome you have Lake Bracciano and Lake Bolsena.
Views of Italy’s rolling hills
One of the most iconic of Italy’s views is the one from the movie Gladiator. Maximus’s home is in the Val d’Orcia, where rolling hills come with covered with vineyards, olive groves and of course, cypress trees leading to farmhouses and pretty hill top villages. Tuscany has it all.
But other regions have some beautiful hilly landscapes too. Such as Umbria, Piedmont and Puglia.
Where to find property with hill views of Italy
- Tuscany: Val d’Orcia (UNESCO listed in 2004) and Chianti have panoramic views of typical Tuscan scenery. Villages houses and farm houses are popular choices.
- Piedmont: Vineyards, rolling hills and scenic villages of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato (UNESCO listed in 2014) with large farm houses for sale.
- Umbria: The “green heart” of Italy has beautiful scenery around Assisi, Orvieto and Perugia. The hill top towns of Montefalco, Todi and Spoleti also offer great views and village homes.
- Puglia: Hill top towns in the Valle d’Itria have views across countryside which is hilly in some areas. Cisternino, Martina Franca and Ceglie Messapica areas particularly have roads that wind through the hills and are dotted with Trulli, Lamia and villas.
Sea views in Italy
Buying a property with a sea view in Italy is always likely to be a good investment. They are in demand from house buyers and tourists looking for a holiday rental. You can find high-value luxury villas with large sea view terraces and apartments with balcony views.
In holiday hotspots properties don’t come up for sale very often and when they do they get snapped up pretty quickly. The high demand also adds to the asking prices. However, in slightly less touristy areas outside the towns and inland, you can sometimes find wonderful panoramic views of land and sea.
Where to find property with panoramic sea views
- The Amalfi Coast: Terraced vineyards, lemon groves, villages, and houses perched on steep slopes overlooking the sea (UNESCO listed in 1997). Property here often has panoramic views of the coastline and sea.
- Puglia: All around the Salento coast, such as Otranto, Gallipoli, and Nardo. Coastal towns of Monopoli and Polignano a Mare are right on the sea. While distant sea views over olive groves can be found from some inland areas, such as Ostuni and Carovigno.
- Sardinia: Amazing views all around the island. Particularly, Budoni, Costa Smeralda, Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo.
- Liguria: The best panoramic sea views can be found from houses in elevated positions and on the cliffs. Cinque Terre, Portovenere and the Islands (UNESCO listed in 1997) have a steep coastline and cultivated terraces with views of the sea. Portofino, Santa Margherita ligure, and the gulf of Tigullio also have amazing views. To the west you can find luxury villas with panoramic views in Bordighera, Ospedaletti and San Remo.
To conclude
We all know that too much screen time isn’t good for us and that we should get out more. This isn’t always easy, especially if the weather is bad. So why not treat yourself to a place in Italy with a view?
But, which Italian scenery will you choose? A farm house surrounded by the rolling hills of Tuscany? A villa looking across a lake with a mountain backdrop? Or an apartment that offers panoramic views of the Italian coastline with a turquoise sea sparkling in the sun?
Frequently asked questions
It depends whether the view of Italian scenery is from a window, terrace, balcony or the roof. Large terraces, where you can sit with friends to enjoy the view while dining or sunbathing, can cost as much as 25% more than one without views.
In general, a lovely panoramic view can add around 5 to 10% to a property’s value.
A Wow! Factor view, such as of the sea or a lake in a sort after location could increase the price by as much as 30%.
Sea view properties at low prices are generally found in the southern regions of Calabria, Sicily, Molise, Puglia, Basilicata and Abruzzo. However, the cheapest ones will need money spent on them to bring them up to a good living standard. Another compromise might be views that are either very distant, partially obscured or only visible from the roof.
